‘A lot of planets have to alignfor us to beat Ireland’

US Eagles coach Eddie O’Sullivan is plotting the downfall of his former team and hoping that this world cup bring about the revival of his reputation

Eddie O'Sullivan is hoping for an enjoyable experience with the US Eagles

T
he footage for an AT&T documentary may have been shot in California sunshine, and the speaker may be wearing shorts and shades but the animated, slightly Americanised delivery is unmistakably Eddie. The rapt audience beside the rucking net is his US Eagles.

“You put that precision together with real aggression, now you’re ruckin’!” he tells them. “You’re like a brain surgeon on speed. You gotta go in there and get it done in a split second but it’s gotta be so frickin’ accurate. Laser precision.”

They make an odd combination — a coach who operated at the top end of his profession for six years and this bunch of phenomenally committed and mostly amateur athletes who do it mainly for the honour of representing their country. It works because the Eagles are ferociously hungry and willing to learn from someone who will be participating in his fourth World Cup. And it